The Cardinals, founded in 1898 and a charter member of the National Football League, hold the distinction of being the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the nation.

The list of former Cardinals enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame reached 14 in 1996 when former offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf joined the elite group. The University of Michigan product, currently a CBS-TV NFL color analyst, played every down of his illustrious 13-year (1971–83) career as a Cardinal.